Moody Amphitheater

Easily one of my favorite music venues in Austin. I love the outdoor venue, especially when it’s a nice day outside. Most concerts are in the evening so it’s usually never too hot. I usually get GA tickets and sit on the lawn. The prices are usually good and it’s comfortable sitting on the lawn. I’d recommend to bring a blanket to sit on if you can. You can have a great view of the show and there have been fantastic artists that have performed there. They sell good options for food and drinks there too.

This is a really fun venue. We loved being in the pit to see Ryan Bingham! Drinks were surprisingly good for a concert, it was easy to get in and out, and we were really happy with how close we were to the stage. We will be back for other shows!

Visited last weekend for a concert. There are weird tufts of grass throughout the park you can trip on, so if you're with someone who has a walking handicap, better stay on the concrete pathways. Gives Blues on the Green circa 2013 vibes. Overall, the venue is beautiful, get there early for parking-or you'll have issues finding good parking. (The capital parking garage across the street is NOT open on weekends for the venue.)

Amazing sound, my favorite venue in Austin. Love the POD seating option, but there's not a bad seat in the house. Services fees are crazy, so I have to be selective of who I can go see. But definitely look to see whos coming up !

I went to see rapper Kevin Gates. It is outside. The weather was perfect. We had great seats. The Moody collesium was a great venue for this event. Plenty of policemen around. I felt safe

What a venue! This place is amazing! Plenty of room, things to do, people to see! I would recommend definitely getting a ride to drop off and pick up due to traffic congestion downtown or wear some comfy walking shoes!

Waterloo Park was an okay venue back in the 90s and 00s, but now that it’s a Moody venue, it’s awesome! It’s clean and well maintained. The bathrooms were clean. The employees were helpful, especially with people with disabilities. The acoustics were outstanding. Overall a great outdoor venue.

Easy to find parking on the street, if you don’t mind a short walk. Finding seats on the lawn was a little crowded, but that’s expected for GA lawn seats! Show up earlier and bring a beach towel if you’re concerned about where you’re going to sit! The music could be heard anywhere in the venue, so there’s not really a bad seat, in my opinion! Went here for a Teddy Swims Concert, it was a great layout in general and concert ended by 10/10:15p per the city laws

This is in fact outside, in what used to just be Waterloo park! My husband and I saw Bleachers here last month and it's a great amphitheater with pretty good sound for outdoors. My one complaint (not that it's something anyone can control) is an outdoor venue for dusk-time concerts in Austin is just questionable because of unpredictable thunderstorms as the temp cools down. A storm narrowly avoided us that night and we saw a lot of lightning during the performance.

I was pooping during the idles show when suddenly, the entirety of my stall shifted and my door swung open to many faces staring at me. I managed to grab the door and give myself a little bit of privacy while I shimmied my pants up with one hand after wiping my ass. 10/10 would poop in front of an audience again!!!

This venue is outdoors with a perfect backdrop of the Texas Capitol. Beautiful Waterloo park surrounding it as well. Security and staff who worked there were friendly. Getting there is a bit confusing since maps will take you to the Trinity St side but the entrance is actually on the Red River St side. The lawn fills up quickly since it is a smaller venue but you can bring a blanket to sit on and a sealed water bottle which was nice. Be aware that there aren't many food options, just a Woodshed Smokehouse tent and bar on each side.

State-of-the-art downtown venue. Also great for games or any other occasion. Ample parking nearby

Moody Amphitheater is a cool new place for outdoor concerts in Austin. Great acoustics here. Lawn seating isn't bad either.

Pros Great sound Small venue so good views Standing or sitting on grass is nice Plenty of parking directly across the street, fairly easy to get in and out The very clean bathrooms - they are attended and there is a very nice woman in one that is rocking it. I hope she is paid well from all the beer money they are collecting Cons My biggest "con" is the people talking. I don't know if it's because it's a more relaxed environment, people talk constantly. I'm here to listen to the music not the people in front of me, behind me and beside me catching up. We've been here a few times and what we experienced at the Father John Misty concert was the WORST. We go to a lot of shows and there's something about this venue that brings out the chatty Cathy's. Another con is the drink and food prices. Not sure how one Shiner can be $14! I know places need to make money but $14 a beer?! Someone else mentioned this in their review but the in and out of the people in the bathrooms seems silly but where we were seated for the first show it was like a light was flashing off and on to my left which was distracting even though I tried to ignore it. Overall, 3 stars

This venue looks really nice because it's in a nice park, but it's one of my least favourite in Austin. I've been in the VIP lawn section with chairs and the regular lawn section. The VIP lawn is way better because at least you can see the artists on stage. The general lawn section is really crowded, so they should cut down the number of tickets for that section. Throughout the whole show, you can see people walking on the sidewalk if you're in general lawn. When it's dark outside, it's also really annoying to see people constantly going in and out of the restrooms because the door opening makes the light shine everywhere. It's such a weird placement to put the restrooms right on either side of the stage in full view of the audience. The food is ridiculously expensive as my friend bought a pretzel for $12. Drinks were also crazy overpriced. They let you bring in one unopened bottled water. It's good to bring a blanket or towel for the lawn. There are a lot of nearby parking garages. I go to a lot of concerts by myself, but this is definitely not a venue I would go to solo. People were talking atrociously loudly on the lawn. I could barely hear the music. Talking during the performance is an issue at every concert venue, but this one was the worst experience I've had. Paying $50 for the lawn experience is a very bad deal. The only thing I liked was the view of the Capitol and other surrounding buildings.

Great outdoor venue! The hill creates a great lawn seating experience. Just the right elevation to allow great viewing without feeling like you're gonna roll downhill. Food and drink lines were quick and some really great food options.

Got decent seats to see Kehlani. The weather was great, security was fast and easy and the concession stands had plenty of options (alcohol and non alcohol). The seats (folded chairs) are a bit small for adults and not much room for people to pass by. Parking in near by garage is cool but no elevators so you have to hood it up and down the stairs. Spring and summer shows are a must here

Wifey and I enjoyed Robert Plant and Allison Krauss here. Lots of great things and just a few pesky whiny complaints about this venue. There is plenty of parking nearby using a parking app on your mobile phone. The capacity of 5,000 means that you'll enjoy a nice, small venue. The surrounding area and venue are green, lush, and very clean. The signage is top notch, with each area, row, and seat clearly labeled; no awkward guessing. Restrooms are clean and easy to find. There are many seating options: cheapskate lawn (bring a small blanket), upgraded lawn with Adirondack chairs, VIP "booths" with a small table and service, and reserved seating. Wifey and I are officially old, so we's likes us to sits in them seats up front 'n close! The view and sound (from out seats) was spectacular. A few other Yelp reviewers (we're a notoriously whiny bunch, aren't we?) complained about tight seating. Hmm, not sure about that. We were comfy. They also whine about the price of drinks, food, and concessions, knowing fully that these prices are in line with every other concert venue. So, venue is topnotch in our books. But...read on. Our ONLY complaint is about the so-called "Level Up" options. We (stupidly) splurged for the lounge and terrace at $50 each. The lounge is small, cramped, and loud. Yes, it has AC, but it semi defeats the whole idea of an outdoor concert. Maybe if it were 110 degrees outside, we would have appreciated it more. The terrace was open and spacious, but had limited seating. If you think that you can watch the show from up there, you're WRONG. A nice velvet rope and a rent-a cop keep you about 6 feet from the balcony, so you can see only the audience and a partial view of the band behind the large banner. The ONLY true "upgrade" is access to bottled wine. All other food and beverage offerings are identical as elsewhere in the venue. Had we not wasted $100 on the Level Up, I'd be giving this place a 5-star review.

Was not allowed to bring my blanket in for the lawn because it was "too big". It's smaller than all the blankets around me, it was just circular. Security person must have failed geometry. She also said that only blankets that could be convincing as scarves are allowed. That rule wasn't posted anywhere?

Anything for Selenas! Selena is one of my favs! The Moody Amphitheater threw a free event I believe called Friday Flix. You can bring outside food, non-alcoholic beverages, blankets and chairs to enjoy the show. There also have a bar and food for purchase. Bidi Bidi Band had a great performance as usual and the Selena music is always an awesome classic movie.

Longtime Austinites will remember when Waterloo Park was just an urban green space next to a swampy creek within walking distance of the Texas Capitol, the University of Texas campus, and the bars of Red River, as well as being the site of some fabulous "Keep Austin Weird" annual events like Fun Fun Fest and Spamarama. It took more than a decade for the latest transformation into its current incarnation as a beautifully modern events space, which includes an awesome part-time music venue with around 35 planned shows per year, the Moody Amphitheater (MA). Because MA is located in the middle of several congested areas of downtown, planning ahead for arrival and exit is critical. Using rideshare or public transportation is highly recommended since nearby parking is limited. Or, be like me and wear your running shoes so you can sprint away for a mile to escape the congestion and head toward Mopac after the show! The main entrance is on Red River close to 15th Street, but the drop-off area is a couple of blocks away near 12th and Red River. Check out the venue FAQs and "Getting Here" page https://www.moodyamphitheater.com/general-information-faq before your event to rule out any bad surprises. For example, a clear bag policy is in effect, outside chairs and umbrellas are not allowed, but you can bring a towel or small blanket for the lawn if you like. You *can* bring in one factory-sealed water bottle per person but no other food or drink. There is no exit/re-entry, no smoking, no vaping, and no concealed carry allowed. Read Steve W.'s straight-talk review for pics of the concessions menus. Prices are steep and fairly similar to most venues hosting major touring acts in town. I'm talking $12 for a 16 oz beer, so maybe think about eating and drinking before arriving for the show. This is Texas, meaning it is going to get hot, humid, and buggy in an outdoor park for at least 9 months of the year. Plan as if you are going to a festival. Dress for comfort in the heat, wear shades and sunscreen, bring a hat, and maybe pack a DEET wipe just in case. My small, clear concert purse is basically a survival kit for assorted outdoor problems that I don't want to ruin my fun. If you're like me and have reached the stage in life where a reserved seat is essential, you're going to want to be on the Waterloo Greenway https://waterloogreenway.org/events/ mailing list so that you get first notice of upcoming concerts and can take advantage of presales before the scalpers come it to buy out everything on the "official" public sale day. Other advantages to snag decent tickets include cardholder presales for Amex and Citi members, LiveNation mailing list, and of course, fan club membership for your artists of interest. Don't wait too long to buy, as Ticketmaster now does "demand pricing" meaning the price of tickets will increase as the event date approaches if the act is popular (or just won a Grammy). I've seen the price of tickets almost tripled from the presale date to the week before a show. One more tip for those who require a "premium" experience... At MA, anyone can purchase (at least until sold out) an add-on called "Level Up" to allow access to a couple of VIP areas (Tito's Terrace and PNC Lounge, with or without VIP parking nearby) with extra food and drink options, comfortable seating, air-conditioned bathrooms, and such. You must purchase a regular event ticket to gain entry, but the add-on gets you a wristband for access to these special areas and reserved parking (if you choose). To find these options, search for "Level Up at Moody Amphitheater" on Ticketmaster and then select from the available options for your concert date. Current prices range from $30 - $70 per person. Attending a concert in Austin these days can be a bit confusing since we now have at least 3 different venues with the generous Moody family's name. Here's how to keep it straight: - Moody Amphitheater (MA) is an open-air venue in a public park that is generally available to the community most days of the week except when ticketed events like concerts and festivals are going on. Capacity is around 5,000+ people, including a general admission lawn area. - Moody Theater (aka ACL Live) is home to Austin City Limits (the venerated PBS music program) and is located downtown next to the W hotel and the big Willie Nelson statue. The indoor capacity is around 2,700 people and about 100 shows are hosted per year since its opening in 2011. - Moody Center is the largest and newest indoor music venue in town, located on the UT campus, and built to replace the retired Frank Erwin Center (aka "The Drum"). It opens this month in April 2022. Capacity is around 15,000+ people depending on configuration, and this venue was specifically designed to showcase a superior concert experience in the "live music capital of the world," although it is also home to several UT sports teams. Ticketmaster handles most concert ticket sales for all 3 of these venues

The bathrooms were very clean and the grounds were very well maintained. Security upon entry was very quickly. They are strict on the blanket size for the lawn. A large beach towel is fine.

It was so nice to be at a concert again. The communication from the venue beforehand was fantastic. There were maps available about parking and rideshare to help navigate getting there and pretty much all information needed about the venue. I was so happy that there were full sized bathrooms available, with plenty stalls, and they were extra clean. I didn't try any food but the drinks were good, definitely pricey though. Staff was nice. We did have a hard time finding our seats because the numbers were under the seat. The sound quality was amazing for a reggae concert. I'm excited to come back here for more concerts and to enjoy the park!

Not a whole lot has changed since our last visit here except for the fact that it's now September, meaning the heat is not as bad. On this visit we saw Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. The lines were long as we stood in the sun with that same building focusing its intense light on us all across the venue. I once again gritted my teeth as I spent $13 on a beer followed by $40 for a T-shirt and another $40 for a poster (and every kiosk screen "gives you the opportunity " to tip). It should be noted, this time around I noticed a couple of craft beers in the offering. Fortunately we had seats just a few rows from the stage so we weren't roasted on the lawn by the sun like the rest of the fans. One yelper mentioned that it gets pretty chatty on the lawn, but that's definitely not the case closer to the stage, primarily because you just can't hear each other when the music is playing. Despite the overpriced grub, it's still a decent venue, but I would recommend getting as close to the stage as you can in order to really enjoy the show.

We paid a lot for our tickets to see Cody Jinks 2nd row. We were crammed into the row so that my husband had to put his arm around me (the guy next to him asked if he could do the same so he had room to sit) just to have room to sit. Tiny, tiny plastic seats zip tied together. Bathrooms were at the other end of the park and long lines, water and soap out before 7pm, and the mulch we had to walk through to get there was the size of small logs. Parking was a nightmare too. Ridiculous! We won't be returning to this venue.

Great place with plenty to do in the area. Their are really no bad seats in the house (unless you are in front row and stupid people rush towards front of stage and block your view, security did not do enough in my opinion). Some people pay a lot of money for front row. Too many no name artists, few great acts. But recommend for artist you may like.

Great place to see a show. But don't go in summer. We were in sec 101 row N and the opening act started at 7 and we were shaded by the stage, but it was 104, so no shade is going to help that. Parking was 20 in a nearby lot. Beers $13 with a decent variety. Just. The heat.

Great sound, convenient bathrooms, & fastest drink lines I've seen around. Lawn is great unless it's hot (was 105 when we got there), so there's a small section in the corner with shade.

We went to the Pixies show in late June. Incredibly hot. You can bring in one sealed water bottle, but there are no water fill stations. There was one water fountain which was a bit difficult to find among the crowd. I understand they need to make $$, but on days with bright sun and temps in the upper 90s, it would be nice to have water options without having to pay insane prices for it. The women's restroom was stuffy and hotter than it was outside. When we first got there, the faucets to wash your hands actually were putting out hot water, but this got better later after the sun went down. However, my main quibbles are with the seats and the staff/security. We paid for seats, not lawn, and were on the right hand aisle (stage left). There is no angle/elevation for the seating area. It is completely flat, which limits the view if you have someone even slightly tall in the first couple of rows in front of you. The seats are folding chairs with cushioned seats which are connected together, making the seats somewhat cramped. Most bothersome was that general admission/lawn customers were allowed to stand in our aisle and along the wall right by the stage. Many of them were also taking throughout the show, so I'm not sure why they bothered taking over our area if they were just going to talk. I do not understand how the staff permitted them to stand there for both Franz Ferdinand and the Pixies. We specifically chose the seats we did to be close to the stage but also to be on the aisle to give us more room, but instead we were crowded into our seats by people standing in the aisle and also had our view blocked by them at times. The entire time we were there, the GA encroachers were just told to move against the wall twice (but not told to go back to GA). Close to the very end of the Pixies show, someone finally told them to go back to their area. I would rather drive to Houston or Dallas to see future shows rather than waste my money on a reserved seat at this venue if this is typically the way things are handled (or, rather, not handled). 2* because parking was not too difficult/far (we paid $20 for garage parking nearby) and there was some shade for our seats (but others further back did not have as much).

Sounds great from almost everywhere except inside the venue. I was pretty excited walking up to the venue as the sound from the garage and street was actually pretty great... However, the sound quality inside the venue was incredibly muddy, and it made it nearly impossible to distinguish vocals from anything else, let alone individual instruments or words. I go to see musicians play for the music... not for vanity seating, the venue environment, or the overpriced carnival fare.

I think the city kind of shit the bed on this one. It looks beautiful, but for live music this is generally not a good venue. Acoustics are poor. If you sit on the lawn at the back, you might as well just watch the concert online. I also cannot figure out why they constantly seat the pit. There is no faster way to zap the energy from a show than to seat the pit. Leave GA standing at the front of the stage.

This place is small and lame . Terrible city view. Crazy strick on what u can bring in. Also can't leave and come back. I won't be coming back !

Had an amazing concert tonight. I got a bucket full of beer from the artist. When we were leaving the Staff took the bucket from us forcefully. They took a memento from an amazing experience all to save no more than $2. Will not be going to this venue again personally or bringing anyone from our company again.

Just saw Brandi Carlisle at this venue The venue itself is great. It's a very hot summer in Texas so until the sun went down it was very warm and we were on the lawn which is very exposed to the sun. Once the sun went down it was great. Sound was perfect. The mistake we made was upgrading to a room that you could go into that was sold as being an air-conditioned place you could get drinks and use their restrooms. We did it because it was so hot we thought it would be a place to go cool off periodically. Very much a waste of money! The room was packed the doors were propped open there was no evidence of air conditioning, lines for drinks and restrooms were ridiculous. They definitely over sell this and it was a total, total waste of money

So this is not about the specific venue. This is about their "box office" and website. I wanted to get tickets to a show at Moody and did not want to pay ridiculous surcharges (around $20 extra a ticket!) using their Ticketmaster link. So I read the info about their box office hours on their website and made a point to go there when they were supposed to be open. I get there 1pm on a Saturday and there was an event that evening that workers were prepping for. According to the website under all these conditions the box office should have been open. When I walked to the box office area it was closed and a worker there said that they do not sell tickets from the box office only online. What a joke. They need to change their website to reflect their actual policy. Btw I would have called ahead but they have no number listed anywhere online.

Venue is nice. Drinks are $14 for a 12 oz beer. Wide selection of food means nachos from the baseball game for $14. pretzel $12. Eat and pregame before.

Flew into town for a concert here and was beyond excited. I tried to get ahold of anyone who could possibly work at this venue...I left voicemails, I DMed them on Instagram, and sent emails and got zero responses. Arrived to the venue and bought lawn seats and didn't think we would have absolutely nowhere to sit. They obviously oversold lawn seats which was confusing since the performer was performing 2 nights in a row. I tried buying the "tito's experience" once we arrived and some lady who worked there said she couldn't sell us those anymore...which is strange since there was only 10-12 people up at the tito's bar the whole time. The sound is also not worth the money unless your tickets are in the first 10-15 rows. You can't hear anything in the lawn except people talking. Ended up having a better view standing by the bathrooms and the trashcans! Overall...do not come to a concert here, especially if you really like the artist. 2/10 experience.

The venue was not huge and overly crowded. I believe it was a 5,000 person concert, so even the "cheap seats" were not bad seats. There was security leading you exactly where to go. It was hot, but it was Texas in July, lol!!

We were fortunate to attend Colonel Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade with opening music by Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew! Wow! This venue books some really fantastic artists. We we're able to walk from our hotel, but paid parking is available. Security was as expected and easy to get through, having a clear bag. (small clutch bags are acceptable) This is not a large amphitheater. Everything is within a short distance of each other seating, merchandise, refreshments, and restrooms(clean..no lines). (You can hear the music everywhere!) The acoustics are not so great. Not Red Rocks...but it's the same or better than most outdoor venues. We had chairs on the grass(great view) with ample walking and leg space. All of the staff me volunteers were friendly! It is expensive to hear a show here, more than most places! (tickets, fees, concessions) This is a no cash only credit card venue. This concert was heat stroke hot! They had wind mister machines set up. But, they really need to have free water stations by the blowers! This is a health and safety issue. I realize you can get more money for 1 bottle of water than the average store charges for a case. But, it's also good to promote less trash and more recycling.

Great venue, however, the sound on the lawn is not the best, and there was an employee that literally tried to fight me because we were standing in a spot we weren't aware we couldn't. Instead of asking politely to move he just yelled at us then got aggressive and rude and then tried to square up when I told him to eff off because he was being rude and really didn't deserve a polite response at that point. Not appropriate employee behavior. Hiring bullies, not a good look. Do better.

I spent a lot of $$$ to take my brother and SIL to the Robert Plant show - paid the extra VIP lounge passes - what a joke. You CAN NOT see the stage even standing on the top deck - they only let you get so close and even then they're standing over you to make sure. The lounge is tiny - yes you have a bathroom and easy access to the bar and ac - but no show. Then while walking around with our $$$ bracelets we got treated like we were trying to sneak into seats - ALL NIGHT LONG. It was very aggravating; they really need to wind down the gesstapoesque moves. I very highly recommend you skip this venue but if you can't, don't bother with the VIP passes unless you just want to sit and drink.

We had reserved seating in row g and level up pass. Level up was a joke and waste of money...once the room is full you have to wait to enter, a few seating options but drink line runs between sofas and wraps around tables, two cashiers and two toilets so still a wait just slightly better if you can get in. Also the lounge is located on the right of stage so really only convenient for seats on that side. Got drinks there initially but never went back as both general drink lines and bathrooms were available. The reserved seating is even worse...folding chairs bound together so you are packed in like sardines. If you get antsy in tight spaces this is not your venue. You will be rubbing elbows with your neighbors. The seating did not feel properly inclined so had to peek between heads to see stage. Artist was great...venue was disappointing.

appreciate the other reviews especially @steve w, and since we did the level up thing, I thought I would add our impressions. as others have said Moody Amphitheater is an outdoor venue, so weather and climate might be factors, depending on the time of year and even time of day of your show. but with the Capitol and Austin skyline in the background, it is the real deal, what you might have imagined the cardboard background behind the set at ACL represented all these years. we had seats down in section 103, which was great, but for Billy Strings at least, everyone was standing and many people were dancing the whole time. so be ready for that. as for level up, it can give you access to the rooftop, a smallish lounge with service and/or parking. the view from the rooftop was awesome. good side angle on the stage, and since everyone in the house was standing the whole time, probably worth it. the view of the crowd was really fun and entertaining. definitely cooler up there. the level up bar was good, but in our case at least, drinks were pretty basic, and the food was the same as everyone else got, not great, but no line. plus no lines for the lounge restroom, even between sets, which could be something to think about with all the drinking going on. the level up parking may be a good concept to get yourself a premium parking location, but was worthless to us at least, as it was not properly marked, and the attendant at the wrong garage we went to never heard of it. that was goofy. but he let us in on good faith anyway. so cool. viva Austin! finally, with the level up passes, we were able to use the VIP exit, and avoided lines coming in and going out. there was some confusion among the staff about whether we were entitled to do that, but my understanding is we were and they let us through. overall, the venue was not very well organized, seems like they're still getting things figured out. but for a good show on a cool evening, it can be a blast. it was for us. recommend it, but do your research first. enjoy!

oversold lawn seating, that blanket's too big to bring in, no standing except behind the red line, can't sit there, move to behind the trash cans. $15 beers, limited food selection, no bueno. highly disappointed.